Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Walweg 33, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.
Department of Applied Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J Safra campus, 919041, Jerusalem, Israel.
Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 4;10(1):9095. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66022-9.
The biological processes that are associated with the physiological fitness state of a cell comprise a diverse set of molecular events. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere shortening, genomic instability, epigenetic changes, protein aggregation, and down-regulation of quality control mechanisms are all hallmarks of cellular decline. Stress-related and decline-related changes can be assayed, but usually through means that are highly disruptive to living cells and tissues. Biomarkers for organismal decline and aging are urgently needed for diagnostic and drug development. Our goal in this study is to provide a proof-of-concept for a non-invasive assay of global molecular events in the cytoplasm of living animals. We show that Microwave Dielectric Spectroscopy (MDS) can be used to determine the hydration state of the intracellular environment in live C. elegans worms. MDS spectra were correlative with altered states in the cellular protein folding environment known to be associated with previously described mutations in the C. elegans lifespan and stress-response pathways.
与细胞生理适应状态相关的生物过程包含了一系列多样化的分子事件。活性氧（ROS）、线粒体功能障碍、端粒缩短、基因组不稳定性、表观遗传改变、蛋白质聚集以及质量控制机制下调，这些都是细胞衰退的标志。可以对与应激和衰退相关的变化进行检测，但通常是通过对活细胞和组织具有高度破坏性的手段。非常需要用于诊断和药物开发的生物标志物来检测生物体的衰退和衰老。我们在这项研究中的目标是为活体动物细胞质中进行全局分子事件的非侵入性检测提供一个概念验证。我们表明，微波介电谱（MDS）可用于确定活秀丽隐杆线虫体内细胞内环境的水合状态。MDS 谱与已知与秀丽隐杆线虫寿命和应激反应途径中先前描述的突变相关的细胞蛋白折叠环境的改变状态相关。
